San Carlos Lake has been closed for nearly three weeks, the entire fish population has died off, and experts say it may happen again. The reservoir, about 160 miles from the Phoenix metro area, has lost so much water that it has caused a massive fish die-off. Rhett Larson, a professor of water law at Arizona State University, says this winter was the worst he has seen in two decades. … The snow drought lowered water levels, Larson said, but Arizona’s water laws also contributed to the die-off. … When farmers with senior rights demand their water, they get first dibs on the water from the lake. Eventually, the lake can’t fulfill all of its water rights holders’ requests. Larson says releases from Coolidge Dam at San Carlos Lake to satisfy those rights brought the lake to record low levels. 

Other drought impact news:

• KJZZ (Phoenix): Water conservation in agriculture could have a significant impact with ongoing drought conditions
• Wyoming News (Cheyenne): Water guzzlers may provide critical relief for wildlife during drought